Tunnel work for Ottawa Confederation Line reaches ten percent milestone

Jawbreaker, one of three roadheaders used for the LRT project, working at the west portal.

Mining of the 2.5-kilometer (1.6-mile) tunnel for the Confederation Line Light Rail Transit project in Ottawa, ON, Canada, is proceeding on time and on budget with 10 percent of the tunnel excavation now complete.

At the West Portal in LeBreton Flats, the roadheader machine named Jawbreaker has carved out 228 meters (.14 miles) of tunnel and is currently digging under Queen Street just west of Bay Street. At the East Portal near Ottawa and Laurier Avenue East, a machine named Crocodile Rouge has mined 22 meters (.01 miles) towards Rideau Street. Mining at the Central Shaft near Queen and Kent streets by the machine called Chewrocka has just begun with seven meters (.004 miles) of the gallery that will lead from the construction shaft to the tunnel excavated to date.

"Four years ago, the future and the budget of this project were uncertain. Today, we have reached a major milestone for tunnel construction. I'm very pleased with the progress that we've made to date, less than one year after the final contract was signed," said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The Confederation Line is a CA$2.1-billion (US$1.9-billion) project that is jointly funded by the Canadian government, the province of Ontario and the city of Ottawa. The Canadian government is contributing CA$600 million (US$541 million) through the Building Canada Fund, the city of Ottawa will also allocate up to CA$161.5 million (US$145 million) of its federal Gas Tax Fund transfers to this project and the Ontario government is contributing up to CA$600 million (US$541 million). Additionally, the city of Ottawa will allocate CA$287 million (US$259 million) of Provincial Gas Tax receipts to the capital infrastructure. The remaining project budget funds will come from development charge revenues and transit reserves.